The Only Other One
by whatsername969
Summary: The Kaiju war has ended, but the memories of the struggle have remained. Now the two scientists who drifted together must learn to deal with the catastrophes they faced and the emotions brewing between them.
1. Insomnia

Newton tossed and turned on the worn out mattress, searching for some semblance of sleep. This had been the routine for the past month, ever since the Kaiju War had officially ended for good. One would think with all of the work he and Hermann had to complete after the fall of the Kaijus, the tired scientist would fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Yet it wasn't that easy-in fact, Newton hadn't gotten a good night of sleep since before he drifted. When he wasn't working feverishly to occupy his mind, memories of the drift and from the Kaijus forced themselves into his consciousness. He could still feel the pain, hear their primal screams. Almost every second of idle thought was pure hell.

But surprisingly, the Kaijus weren't the reason sleep evaded Newton tonight. His mind was occupied with the other party from his drift-Hermann. The drift hadn't only changed Newton's sleep schedule; in fact, there seemed to be a deep impact on the relationship between the two scientists. Their once incessant bickering had fallen to awkward silences while both worked in the lab. They were no longer colleagues, but…

Newton stopped himself. He didn't know what the hell his and Hermann's relationship had shifted into. Something new arose between the two of them, and Newton couldn't (or wouldn't) put his finger on it. Instead he returned to his sleepless thoughts. Tonight the images of him with Hermann danced vividly beneath his eyelids. As much as he wanted to abandon the idea of anything more than a barely platonic work relationship, the fantasies got stronger with each passing night. _Well_, he thought, _anything is better than a night fending off Kaiju memories I guess._

However, tonight the thoughts of Hermann seemed to flood his mind to the brim. They had never been anywhere close to this strong. It couldn't be just his desires that occupied his mind. Since they had drifted together with the Kaiju, he would occasionally feel some of Hermann's emotions and ideas at the base of his consciousness, but they had always remained fleeting. Tonight one thought from his fellow scientist's brain had taken over his mind, building on the same desires already present.

Newton sighed, swinging his legs onto the metal floor of his bunk. He could not spend another minute in his bed, not with his brain on overdrive like this. He might as well get some work done. _Hopefully I will end up falling asleep at my keyboard and not next to a Kaiju brain like last time,_ he thought. He quickly put on an old pair of dirty sweatpants and college T-shirt from the floor. As soon as he left his room, a surprising quiet greeted him. Normally, any and every sound echoed through the halls of the base that held thousands constantly at work. But now, it was down to the skeleton crew as most people had left after the war ended. The only people who remained were the needed-mechanics to fix up the base, technicians to crunch numbers, and the scientists to try and explain what the hell exactly happened. The heroes on the other hand were on their worldwide victory tour, celebrating the end of the apocalypse. Both Newton and Hermann had been invited along, but neither accepted. Hermann wasn't the type to soak in fanfare; he would much rather remain with his numbers and equations. That had been no shock, but most had been surprised though when Newton declined. A worldwide rockstar-esque tour seemed right up his alley. But after all he had been through, he just couldn't take so much attention. It was one thing to be recognized for his work but another to have to relive the hell he went through constantly for reporters and the media.

_Besides, he would have had to leave Hermann behind._

_No._ Newton forced himself to block the idea. That _wasn't_ the reason he remained behind in the hauntingly empty base. He continued walking down the sprawling hallways to reach the lab, shaking the thoughts of the old stickler until he suddenly heard a quiet tapping ahead of him. _Really? The last person I want to see right now. _Hermann rounded the corner in front of Newton. Unlike Newton, who had donned whatever clothing he could find, Hermann was dressed in his normal professor chic. In fact, it was the same sweater vest and khaki pants combo that he had worn in the lab today. It looked like Newton wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.

The two stood facing each other in the hallway, fumbling for even a sentence to say to the other. Finally, Newton sheepishly spoke up, "Can't sleep either?" Hermann only nodded, averting his eyes. This silent, awkward tension was becoming too much, and both of them knew it. However, neither knew how to break it. After a few more seconds, Hermann replied, "I haven't left the lab. Not tired. I was just walking about to…to clear my head". Newton highly doubted that. A man with a bum leg doesn't go for a walk, especially this far away from his room and the lab. _Especially this close to Newton's room._

Again, Newton found himself submerging the voice in his head. It made sense, but sometimes what was logical was not what he wanted. Hermann's refined British uptightness broke his reflection, "Since it appears neither of us can sleep, would you maybe want some tea? It usually helps with insomnia and such". Newton knew he would never be invited to just sit and chat with Hermann in his room under normal circumstances, but before he could even fight the idea of being alone with Hermann, he quickly responded with a yes. And just like that, Newton found himself following the one person he had been trying to escape from.


	2. Midnight Tea

Newton slowly followed Hermann back to his room. He knew exactly the route to take but didn't want to outpace the crippled man beside him. The walk took an eternity-the silence between them made time practically stand still. But the lonely tap of Hermann's cane and plods of Newton's bare feet were better than forced, idle chitchat.

Finally they arrived at Hermann's room. As Newton walked in, he noted how similar the room was to Hermann. Everything sat ordered and organized. _Hell, I bet the books on his shelves are even alphabetized. _The only thing the tidy room lacked was any real seating. The one real chair had been shoved under the desk while Hermann prepared the tea. That left the neatly tucked-in bed. Newton frowned at the thought but kept his mouth shut. Despite their once normal back-and-forth fighting, he didn't want to bother Hermann with something so small. As he sat down, he felt how rigid and tight the bed was. _Just like he would be. _

Newton quickly hit his fist against his leg. He tried hard to keep the ever-flowing thoughts away, but with Hermann standing right next to him it wasn't an easy task. He watched as Hermann prepared the tea, almost exactly like he worked in the lab. His brow furrowed, eyes intensely watching every step to avoid errors. Newton must have lost track of time while watching Hermann move in a sort of scientific dance. Before he knew it, a mug of tea was being placed in his hands. As Hermann gave Newton the cup, their fingertips brushed against each other. Shivers traveled down Newton's spine at the slight touch. He thought he saw the same reaction from Hermann but couldn't tell if it was reality or just his wishful thinking.

Instead of sitting in the chair, Hermann sat on the bed next to Newton. Not close enough to touch, but enough for Newton to tense up slightly. "Drink up," Hermann said, a slight nervous laughter to his voice. Newton sipped on the tea and immediately grimaced. The tea tasted bitter from the lack of sugar, honey, or any real flavor. But again, Newton felt bad at the idea of insulting Herman, so he continued taking minuscule sips. They had reached the impasse that had popped up so often the past few weeks. Both wanted to talk and break the quiet between them, but neither knew how. Newton knew what he wanted to discuss with the person sitting less than two feet away from him but lacked the courage to bring it up.

Hermann broke the silence with an unloaded question, "So, has your insomnia been going on long?"

Newton nodded and stared into the murky liquid in his mug. "Yeah, I haven't been able to sleep ever since drifting with the Kaiju. It's like," he paused, barely able to get the words out, "It's like my mind hasn't been my own. I have so many other voices in my head."

"I don't think I've been helping much on that end," Hermann said with a wry smile on his face. Newton chuckled and felt himself smiling along. "You know," Hermann continued, "Ever since we drifted with the Kaiju, I've been researching the drifting process. You know as well as I do that the two people who drift together must have some sort of…compatibility. And I've been looking into all of the documented drift duos and found a simple pattern.

"People are drift compatible in three scenarios. The first, and one of the most common, is due to some sort of familial relation. Father and son, brothers, etc. The next is a strong platonic bond. Lifelong friends, neighbors, similar personalities, that sort of thing. And the third scenario arises when the two parties are…"

Hermann's voice quieted and trailed off, but both men knew exactly what the last scenario was. _The third scenario arises when the two parties are romantically attached._ After a few seconds (what seemed like minutes to Newton), Hermann continued, "Now, since the two of us drifted, we must fit into one of these scenarios. We are obviously not blood relatives, and any sort of friendship between us doesn't exist in the slightest. Therefore, I have deduced we fall into…"

"Lovers?" Newton interjected. "You've got to be kidding, Hermann! We can barely stand each other, and to think we could be romantically involved is crazy." Newton knew in some part of his mind that he was lying to himself, but at this point he would rather lie than face the truth in front of him.

Hermann turned to Newton, his face incredibly serious, "You know as well as I do the thoughts we've been having about each other ever since the drift. You may not want to believe it, but something in your subconscious is driving you to think this way. Trust me, I tried to doubt these thoughts, these desires for a long time Newton. Yet the more they appeared, the more I…I felt something towards you. I don't know what, but it's there. And I know you feel it too."

Newton quickly jumped up to stand. He wanted to argue with Hermann that these theories were ridiculous and silly, but he couldn't. The way Hermann had described it was _exactly _how Newton felt. But despite the desires that had been raging in his skull for days, Newton still found it hard to believe the idea of Hermann and himself being romantically involved. He was lost in thought when he heard Hermann stand up behind him.

"I've upset you. I'm sorry-this wasn't my intention. It just seemed like the only way to explain what the hell has been going on between us these past few weeks."

Newton turned around to face Hermann and saw something he had never seen before. Hermann looked…defeated. His eyes stared down at the floor as his facial expression saddened. Newton felt his heart skip a beat and knew he couldn't end the night like this.

"Look, Hermann. You haven't upset me." Hermann looked up at Newton as he spoke. "This is just…a lot to take in is all. I can't be angry at you over this."

They stared at each other, faces barely inches apart. Suddenly Newton felt an overwhelming urge. Every nerve and synapse in his brain screamed for the man standing in front of him. Before Newton could think twice, his mouth covered Hermann's. For a heartbeat, neither moved nor reacted. Newton then felt a slight push from Hermann's end, and he responded similarly. His hand slid up Hermann's neck, groping for some sort of way to bring them closer together. Their chests were now touching, breathing in time. He felt Hermann's tongue slowly part his lips and enter his mouth. Hermann tasted like the tea he had brewed for them, but this time Newton wanted to drink in every last drop…

After a few seconds entwined, Newton broke out of his daze and finally realized what he had just done. He quickly broke away from their kiss as Hermann stared at him with a mix of shock and disappointment. Newton looked down and stuttered, "I'm…I'm sorry. I can't…I can't…"

Newton didn't even finish his sentence before he rushed out of the room. He could hear Hermann call out after him, but he didn't stop. He just needed to get away as soon as he could. There would be no way Hermann would follow him, and even if he did, he wouldn't catch up to Newton in time. After Newton got far enough away from Hermann, he stood alone in the hallway. His thoughts were a mess. He didn't know where he had gone wrong. _I should have never followed Hermann to his room. I should have argued with him over his insane, crackpot theories. Why the hell did I kiss him?!_

_I shouldn't have ended that kiss._

It felt like a war was going on in his head. He felt the two sides of his mind going back and forth, and it didn't help he could also feel Hermann's emotions as well at the base of his skull. "FUCK!" Newton screamed, slamming his fist against the wall. The sound echoed loudly throughout the corridor. He quickly regretted the decision as pain shot up his arm. He knew his fist wasn't broken, but it hurt like hell. At least the pain dulled his racing thoughts.

As soon as he got back to his room, he got into his bed, feeling worse off than before. His mind kept returning to the kiss. He hadn't thought it through before he kissed Hermann, but it had just felt…_right_. He kept kicking himself for leaving the way he did, but he knew he couldn't go back. Not tonight anyway. Every muscle in his body ached for more, and soon Newton gave himself into his fantasies. As the night dwindled, Newton began to pleasure himself to the idea of the kiss between them continuing on into something much more. Finally, as daylight began to creep up on the clock, he fell into a rough, fitful sleep.


	3. The Morning After

As soon as Newton broke out of his groggy sleep, he felt like he had been hit by a case full of bricks. _Shit. I feel like utter and complete shit. _Newton slowly lifted his head from the pillow, staring at the bedside clock. It was almost noon-it looked like Newton has actually gotten a decent amount of sleep, even though he felt nowhere close to rested. _God I need some coffee before I shut down completely. _

Newton moved slowly, putting on actual clothing (from the floor, but they smelled clean enough) before making his way to the mess hall. For once, he felt thankful for the quiet that had become commonplace on the base. His head pounded from a major emotional hangover, but the lack of noise kept it in check. To no surprise, the mess hall was just as deserted as the rest of the base. Newton grabbed a cup and filled it with dark, black liquid that would hopefully fuel him.

Instead of going straight to the lab, he sat at one of the nearby tables, taking his time drinking. The longer he could put off dealing with the mess that is Hermann and his relationship, the better. Between sips, he rubbed his temples trying to quell the pain. Not only did he have to deal with all of his emotions, but he could feel some of Hermann's as well. He couldn't pinpoint exactly how Hermann felt, but he could easily tell they weren't joyful. They dragged the pain down further and further, making Newton's attempts to relieve his headache unsuccessful.

_Hell, I better just go and get this over with. It's not like he'll confront me anyway. _

Shotgunning the last of his coffee, Newton took the long walk to the lab. He honestly wasn't sure who he would find. Would Hermann be overtly angry, yelling at every error Newton made? Or would he be quiet and seething in his own little corner? Maybe he wouldn't even be there. _That would be nice, but it would never happen._ Hermann made it his mission to always be in the lab, even if he was on death's door. Before opening the lab door, Newton took a deep breath, preparing himself for the worse. He opened the door and saw Hermann squirreled away by his blackboard, writing some equation from a dusty book. Hermann slightly turned his head to see who it was. Just as quickly as he looked to Newton, he turned his head back to his work.

_At least he won't be actively yelling at me, thank God…_

Newton moved to his side of the lab, getting right to work on looking up data for the Kaiju organ he planned to dissect. For the next few hours, the lab stayed quiet minus the clicking of keys and Hermann's chalk on the blackboard. Newton hated the awkward tension that now blanketed the lab but he didn't want to face the alternative. Not with both his head and injured hand still in pain. He kept cursing himself for punching a steel wall last night. Like most of his decisions, it felt good at the time but looked incredibly stupid in hindsight.

Now with all of the data, Newton attempted the dissection but knew it would be an uphill battle. The hand he normally worked with was the same one he fucked up. Because it hadn't healed enough yet, it was still slightly swollen and bruised. He tried to do basic incisions, but just holding the scalpel in hand felt painful. After a few minutes it became too much to handle-the headache, the pain shooting up from his hand, and the tension in the room crushing down upon him all forced him to the breaking point.

Suddenly a loud crash echoed throughout the room, forcing Hermann to look up. Newton had thrown the scalpel at a tray of tools, sending them all clattering to the floor. Now he sat, eyes closed and head in his hands. Hermann cautiously walked over to where Newton sat. "Are you okay?" he asked, trying to read Newton's expression.

"Does it look like I'm okay?" Newton snapped back. He didn't mean for his voice to be as caustic as it had come across, but the pain felt overwhelming at this point.

Hermann noticed how hurt Newton's hand was, the overhead light showing the deep purples of the bruises on his knuckles. "What the hell did you do to yourself, Newton?" he demanded. Mixed in with his authoritative tone, Newton heard a hint of concern which caught him off guard. This was new. He decided to be honest, if for no other reason than to finally get some of the weight off of his shoulders.

"I _may_ have punched a wall last night after I left your place," he quietly said. Hermann sighed deeply. Newton could tell he was upset. Not angry, but truly hurt. Neither spoke for a while, and soon quiet descended once again between the two of them. Finally Hermann spoke.

"This is my fault, Newton. I should have never brought up what I did last night. If…if I would have known how negatively this was to affect you, I would have kept quiet. I can see now what I have done."

Newton looked up in surprise. This wasn't like Hermann. The normal Hermann would have yelled at Newton for being reckless and stupid. The normal Hermann wouldn't have come over to check on him like this. The normal Hermann wouldn't be this emotionally vulnerable. As he looked over at Hermann, he saw how hurt he appeared. His eyes glanced away but Newton could tell tears were forming at the edge of his vision. He was biting his lower lip and gripping the steel table he leaned on. Hermann was trying to keep himself from breaking down, but Newton could easily see that the attempts were failing.

His heart twisted in his chest. Oddly, it destroyed him to see Hermann like this. _Goddammit Newton, you need to fix this now before you mess it up ever more. _

"This isn't your fault Hermann. It's mine." As he spoke, Hermann looked up, confused. Newton continued, "I shouldn't have ran last night. You were right…about everything. Ever since we drifted, I can't get you out of my head. And to be honest, I don't know if I want to. I have no idea what is happening between us but I can't deny whatever it is. But I panicked last night. I had no idea how to react to it all staring me in the face, and I ran. So if anyone should be apologizing Hermann, it should be me. Not you."

As Newton finished speaking, he let out a sigh of relief. It felt like a load had been taken off his shoulders. Saying everything that had been pulling his mind down made him feel the best he had felt in days. He looked to Hermann to see how he had reacted to Newton's confession. The confusion remained, but it was slowly being replaced with an expression Newton hadn't seen since they had won the war. Hermann looked happy, a smile slowly forming on his face.

"So, what does this mean? You know, for us?" Hermann asked, almost in a whisper.

_Hell, I better just go and get this over with._

With a smirk, Newton replied, "It means that we are starting over. Clean slate." Even without speaking, both could tell what this meant. With the same fluid movement, each leaned into the other, picking up where they had left off the night before. This time, the kiss wasn't hesitant or weak. They had both been lusting after the other, and now that the truth was on the table, neither held back. Their tongues danced as they moved closer and closer.

Soon Hermann's fingers ran up Newton's neck and through his hair. Newton let out a small yet noticeable moan. _God this feels so good_. He could tell Hermann was starting to hurt though-with him leaning over Newton and on his cane at the same time, his position wasn't the best. Quickly, Newton's hands moved up Hermann's legs. It took all of his strength to keep his hands on Hermann's legs and away from his crotch, but he knew he had to make Hermann comfortable first before they progressed. Finally his hands got to Hermann's bony hips, and with almost no strength, he lifted Hermann easily onto his lap. Hermann's cane dropped to the ground as he positioned himself on top of Newton.

"Much better," Hermann cooed. He pushed up against Newton, forcing the chair back into the wall. While Hermann's hands rested around Newton's neck, Newton grabbed Hermann's back, bringing him even closer. He wanted all of Hermann-he had gone too long with just fantasies and dreams. Now that he had him, he couldn't stop.

After a while, he noticed how hard they had both gotten. Between their kisses, Newton whispered softly, "I want you. All of you." Hermann simply moaned, too engrossed in their current arrangement to respond with words. Newton wanted to strip down right this second and take Hermann, but he knew the lab wasn't the best place. He wanted somewhere intimate, somewhere quiet. He knew Hermann's room was just down the hall.

Newton slowly stood up, his arms firmly wrapped around Hermann's waist. He gently placed Hermann, feet first, on the ground. "Where are we going?" Hermann asked, giddy with excitement.

"Your room," Newton replied with a wide grin on his face, "We have to continue this somewhere." He pushed a lock of Hermann's hair out of his eyes, giving him one last kiss before they left. Laughing like young schoolboys, the two quickly left the lab. They wanted to waste as little time as possible.


	4. Together

_Well this has been an interesting turn of events._

This ran through Newton's mind as he and Hermann walked from the lab to Hermann's room. If it had been up to Newton, they would have sprinted to the bed in record time. But sprinting wasn't really possible when one party relied on a cane just to walk. But in a way, this was better-they took turns touching, kissing the other. Newton would kiss Hermann gingerly on the nape of his neck; Hermann would counter with thin fingers dancing up Newton's spine. Newton wasn't used to this kind of light foreplay, but he couldn't complain.

Finally, they reached their destination. As Hermann quickly opened the door, Newton remember how roughly 12 hours ago, he had left this same space filled with anger and confusion. Less than an hour ago, he wouldn't have come back to the scene of the crime willingly. Yet here he was, with the one person who he used to loathe with a passion. Now that passion had shifted from hatred to burning lust.

As soon as the heavy steel door close behind them, the pair resumed making out like before. Newton quickly shoved his tongue down Hermann's throat, tightly gripping the back of his hair. While Newton's hands busily grabbed at the man in front of him, Hermann took a softer approach. His hands nimbly went to the buttons of Newton's untucked shirt. Before Newton knew it, he could feel the metallic cold of the room on his bare chest. Hermann's fingers soon followed, trailing up the colorful lines of Kaiju tattoos.

It took all of Newton's attention to not get caught up in the sensory overload he was experiencing. He knew he had to counter Hermann's moves in order to get to the ultimate goal. He lacked the finesse Hermann possess when it came to removing clothes, and it didn't help Hermann wore layer upon layer. After some awkward movements and a small break in kissing, Newton got Hermann's sweater vest and shirt off. Now both men stood, shirtless, confused as how to continue.

Tenderly, Newton ran his hand up Hermann's bad leg and looked at him. "How are we…you know," Newton quietly said. He wanted to make sure Hermann would be as comfortable as possible. Hermann only shook his head, placing a small kiss on Newton's mouth.

"Trust me, I will be fine. My leg will be able to handle it," he smirked.

With Hermann's approval, Newton gently pushed him back until he laid on the bed. Newton soon followed. They continued to kiss fervently with fingers learning every inch of the other's chest. Newton could feel how erect Hermann was becoming, and he realized Hermann wasn't the only one. He pulled away from Hermann and began to undo his belt and skin-tight black jeans. By the time Hermann began to follow Newton's lead, Newton had become completely naked. Impatient as always, he quickly tugged off Hermann's trousers and underwear in one fell swoop.

They spent a few seconds admiring each other, completely naked. Hermann's body was thin-almost frail-and even in bed he possessed his signature rigid composure. Newton feared he would hurt Hermann with the slightest amount of pressure, but that fear soon passed as Hermann brought himself up, back to Newton's mouth. After a few more kisses, Newton quickly turned Hermann around. Almost on instinct, Hermann kneeled away from Newton. He leaned his weight on his good leg, using the wall as a support, and grabbed the bottom rung of the bed post.

Newton took a deep breath, and slowly entered into Hermann. The flood of pleasure that followed almost made Newton cum on the spot. Not only did he feel his own euphoria, but he also felt at the edge of his brain the mix of pleasure and pain Hermann was experiencing. As Newton kept going from behind, he bent down, wrapping his hand around Hermann's hard cock. He could now smell Hermann's skin-his normal mix of chalk, old books, and tea. He once despised this scent, but now it turned him on and he couldn't get enough. Once his hand touched Hermann, a low, pleasurable moan escaped Hermann's lips.

Soon they fell into a rhythm. The motions of Newton's hand as he jerked off Hermann matched those of his cock inside of his partner. Suddenly, Newton realized the pressure building up in his brain. With a gasp, the two climaxed. The immense wave of pleasure was something Newton had never felt before-both orgasms had built upon the other and each felt the other's pleasure. Newton, out of breath like the wind had been knocked out of him, gently pressed his face into Hermann's back. He slowly took his cock out and fell back onto the bed with Hermann following quickly after. He looked over at Hermann, whose labored breathing and dazed expression worried him. Hermann looked back and just smiled. Both nervously chuckled.

"That was one of the best experiences I have ever undergone," Hermann spoke between heavy breaths.

"I can say the same. You aren't such a stick in the mud after all," Newton teased. He gently placed his head on Hermann. Even in the dark, his bold tattoos stood out in contrast to the pale chest he laid upon. He could hear Hermann's heart beating and it calmed his frantic mind.

Sleepily, Newton looked up at Hermann, "I could get used to this."

Newton fell asleep to Hermann's fingers running through his hair.

"As could I."


	5. Nightmares and Dreams

Despite the night Newton just had, it all fell apart as soon as he began to dream. Tonight the dreams were the strongest they had been since the collapse of the breach. He could hear the cries of the Kaiju growing louder and louder. No matter how far he ran, the Kaiju seemed to increase its distance. Suddenly, Newton reached a dead end and turned to face his predator. The creature stood with him face to face. Its eyes glowed; its breath hot on Newton's face. Newton wanted to scream, but his voice caught in his throat.

Caught up in the nightmare, Newton tossed and turned frantically. Eventually, his movements caused Hermann to wake up. He looked at the man beside him with grave concern-Newton's face was taught with fear and worry. He whimpered. Without a second thought, Hermann grabbed Newton gingerly. He placed a hand at the base of Newton's back and ran the other through his messy hair.

"Shh. It's ok, love. I'm right here."

Hermann continued to whisper softly as he tried to wake Newton. Newton could hear a voice in his nightmares, slowly pulling him back to reality and away from the hell in front of him. After a few minutes, the cries subsided and Newton stopped squirming in Hermann's arms. Hermann continued his motions until his partner slowly opened his eyes.

"Hermann…"

His voice was shaky. Even though the nightmare was over, he still couldn't shake the fear that lingered in his mind. He looked at Hermann and saw bits of worry in his eyes. Before he could say another word, Hermann kissed him tenderly on his lips before pressing his forehead to Newton's.

"It's alright. The nightmares won't get you here. I will keep you safe."

Newton wanted to say something to Hermann, but instead he pressed his face into the curve of Hermann's shoulder. He felt the warmth coming from Hermann, enveloping him in a safety blanket of sorts. With this and Hermann's embrace, he began to be lulled back into sleep. Barely awake, he kissed Hermann's neck and in a muffled voice spoke two soft words.

"Thank you."

"Anything for you, Newton," Hermann replied in the same sleepy tone.

They fell asleep together, entangled in each other tightly. It was the first time Newton had truly slept in weeks.


End file.
